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American Alexander Rossi to drive Caterham LMP2 entry at Le Mans

June 2, 2013

Alexander Rossi will help pilot a Greaves Zytek-Nissan Z11SNs later this month at Le Mans.

Caterham has revealed that it will be unleashing a Greaves Motorsport Zytek LMP2 entry at this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans. The car, which is part of the company's evaluation of an entry into the customer-prototype market, will be driven by California native Alexander Rossi.

The news came on the official unveiling of the Formula One team and sports-car builder's link-up with the Greaves Motorsport squad. The British team, which won P2 in 2011, will run one of its Zytek-Nissan Z11SN P2s under the Caterham Motorsport banner in the 24 Hours on June 22-23.

Caterham F1 reserve driver Rossi, who is also racing in the GP2 series this season, will share the car at Le Mans with three-time Le Mans class winner Tom Kimber-Smith and American Le Mans Series graduate Eric Lux.

Mike Gascoyne, head of the Caterham Group's technology & innovation arm, said: “We will be looking in more detail at how our various areas of expertise across both CT&I and Caterham Composites can be applied to a customer-prototype program in the future.

“We have the tools, the talent and the heritage to do the job. It makes sense for us to go and see first-hand how we might take advantage of a business opportunity that fits with our capabilities.”

Gascoyne, who no longer has an involvement in the Caterham F1 team, is believed to be looking at both the LMP1 and P2 categories. No timescale has been set for the project, but a car is unlikely to be up and running before 2015.

Caterham will embed engineers with Greaves for the 24 Hours and next Sunday's Le Mans Test Day as part of the evaluation process.

The interest of the Caterham Group in international endurance racing follows the setting up of a 50/50 joint venture with historic French manufacturer Alpine to develop a new road-going sports car. Gascoyne and CT&I are leading the design of a car that will be available as a Caterham and an Alpine when it goes on sale in 2016.